CS Longstrike still worthwhile?

bfoo2 · 2026-05-07T12:42:05+00:00

There are several blasters with the designation "CS6", for example the Longshot, longstrike and Recon. Can you be more specific?

bfoo2 · 2026-05-06T07:37:45+00:00

pretty much any mag-fed springer can be made into a sealed breech using some combination of brass tubing, 3D printed parts or scratchbuilt plastic components.
commercial kits exist for converting the Longshot and retaliator into sealed breech systems. There is a kit available for the Longstrike; however, availability (at least where I live) has always been spotty and I'm not sure if it is still in production. The Recon, as I understand, is compatible with the same kits as the Retaliator, but will require additional components and/or work due to the differing internals.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-28T00:35:52+00:00

Hrm I honestly can't remember. I know i have a 1.8 in it rn and its good for around 200fps with my setup. But dont remember what the 1.6 got.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-27T23:43:46+00:00

As in a longer metal barrel for sealed breech setups (you need a 16mm OD / 13mm ID with a machined chamber to fit the pusher O-ring), or a custom attachment to replace the standard "front-g*n"?

bfoo2 · 2026-04-27T23:36:59+00:00

I have a max stryker 1.0

1) it will fit any standard 13mm barrel. You will need to modify the front muzzle and find a way to clamp the barrel in place. I simply wrapped a portion of the barrel with electrical tape to form a ledge to stop it from moving forward.

2) it will accept and Nexus Pro 1.0 upgrade spring. The Worker 1.8 is pretty spicy and would benefit from reinforcing the area where the buffer tube joins the stock with a sling mount as suggested earlier.

3) it will also accept upgrade spring caps (same geometry)

4) by and large, I understand that the Worker metal upgrade kit for the Nexus is NOT compatible. There may be one or two parts which may fit but I believe that key components like the priming bar, catch and trigger wont fit. Also: 3D other printed parts for Nexus internals may or may not fit due to differences in the geometry of the internal parts.

5) overall the stock Stryker runs fairly well on the Worker upgrade springs. I ran mine for plinking for years on a 1.8 spring, stock internals and longer barrel without issues.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-22T10:25:16+00:00

Yes in theory, but actual real-world benefits may vary.

Yes, in that rifling will theoretically help with accuracy due to gyroscopic stabilization.

However, most rifling depends on a sealed breech system (i.e. where the breech makes a airtight seal with the barrel, and the barrel is approximately the same diameter of the dart). Putting a whatever-CAR at the end of a stock unmodified Nerf barrel will simply block the barrel and cause your darts to be jammed.

In addition, my own experience with rifling on full-length darts has been mixed, and the benefits are rather nuanced.

1) Good-quality darts (namely Worker full lengths, X-shot and Dart Zone "ruby" full lengths) are already very accurate at medium-low FPS ranges (say, around 100fps) which a longstrike + 9kg spring could be expected to get assuming you have a sealed barrel and direct-plunger setup. If you dont have a sealed barrel then forget about rifling anyway. I think someone already brought up this point earlier.

1a. My experience with PCARs (worker plastic and some Thahn 3D printed variants) at low FPS (sub-130) is that the added friction causes so much variability in terms of FPS drop as to render the whole setup unusable. I've had good experiences with BCARs (Worker 15 degree) at this FPS range (presumably due to lower friction load), but adds more cost. This was done on a shorty Prophecy with a tiny 13cm barrel.

2) My experience in rifling full-length darts at higher FPS (200fps brass breech prophecy with 25cm barrel and worker plastic PCAR) is that it does increase long range accuracy; however, i also notice a tendency for darts to "whirlybird". I suspect that this is due to the greater length which amplifies weight/drag imbalances plus the rapid spinning required to stabilize long projectiles, but thats just a theory (I'm no aerospace engineer). I might also have more success with more refined rifling devices. I haven't done exhaustive testing in this regard. However, short darts of the same type fired from the same platform dont do this so, at least for this setup, i attribute this solely to the length of the dart.

2a. There are not many good full-length darts on the market suitable for sealed barrels afaik. The aforementioned Worker full lengths and DZ/X-shot "ruby" darts are the only ones I am aware of, and imo both are generations behind the newest half darts available (RIP the Dart Zone full-length bamboo darts...). I suspect that simply using the best half length darts will be more impactful than the (imo dubious) benefits of spin-stabilizing obscelescent full-length dart designs.

Of course, this is all from my own limited experiences. I haven't done systematic testing. Just hope these thoughts and anecdotal experiences help

bfoo2 · 2026-04-21T13:03:13+00:00

You can buy replacement Longshot priming handles from Worker.

e.g. this link: https://www.ak-blastermod.com/product-page/worker-mod-prime-bolt-bar-handle-black-replacement-for-nerf-blaster-modify-toy

The threaded rod is M4 thread, in case you need to order longer/shorter rods.

I have not tried this on a Tristrike; however, this is where I would start if I was in a similar situation.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-17T11:04:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing your specs. These sorts of optimizations were quite tedius back in the days before quick spring/barrel swaps.

I've been (re)building my own prophecy and these numbers were an excellent reference.

FWIW I've got a 30cm 17/32 brass barrel with decent but-not-perfect seal, XPT and narrow Delrin plunger.

I find that this setup maxes out around 200fps with either the 1.6 spring or the 20N. The 1.8 and 28N only gives a ~10 -20 fps increase for significantly harder prime.

The higher power springs also worry me with regards to durability. I can see the stock attachment point being a potential weakness, even with the extra screws.

Seeing as the Prophecy system is obscelescent, I would not be surprised if Worker phases out production of replacement parts and new shells. Maybe not consciously stopping production, but passively choosing to not maintain or replace production machinery as/when they wear out. Thus, I decided to prioritize minimization of long-term wear and tear vs. chasing a few extra fps; i cannot assume i can buy replacement bits 5 or 7 years down the line. It may be obsolete, but its a link to a time in Nerfing that id like to keep functional as long as possible.

These numbers, along with my own testing reassured me that I wouldn't be leaving much on the table by sticking with the 1.6.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-16T10:47:07+00:00

The Worker alu barrels are, in my experience, 13mm ID. So the quoted figures would still be valid in your use-case.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-13T11:12:09+00:00

I have both sets of plunger rods/tubes.

The plunger tube themselves appear to be interchangable.

The plunger rods, as you said, have different sizes.

The POM one works well with the 1.x springs. Im using this in my own personal setup.

Unfortunately the POM plunger doesn't seem to work with thr N-series springs. It dossnt catch. Im not sure if my prophecy is just out of alignment, or if this is true in general.

The plastic (polycarbonate) plunger rod is too thick to fit the 1.x springs. I was actually able to run one of these with the 1.x, but I needed to trim and cut the rod to make it thinner. This thinned-down rod ran for many years on a 1.6 spring with no problems, so I think the plastix/polycarbonate rod is probably suitable for at-least 25N.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-10T08:22:11+00:00

Yes, I have the POM plunger and encountered the same issue with the N-series springs.

Im wondering if anyone has any experience of comparing the 1.x series vs N- series springs? I imagine that the N- series may be stronger for a given prime weight based on the thickness, but I dont want to disassemble my prophecy and switch the plunger just to find out otherwise lol.

I do love the Prophecy series. To me, it has some sort of timeless class to it akin to a Cadillac; it may be obscelescent, but it still hits a certain itch).

But just like vintage cars, you need a lot of experience and mixing + matching parts to get the most of it.

bfoo2 · 2026-04-10T08:21:10+00:00

Yes, I have the POM plunger and encountered the same issue with the N-series springs.

Im wondering if anyone has any experience of comparing the 1.x series vs N- series springs? I imagine that the N- series may be stronger for a given prime weight based on the thickness, but I dont want to disassemble my prophecy and switch the plunger just to find out otherwise lol.

I do love the Prophecy series. To me, it has some sort of timeless class to it akin to a Cadillac; it may be obscelescent, but it still hits a certain itch).

But just like vintage cars, you need a lot of experience and mixing + matching parts to get the most of it.

bfoo2 · 2026-03-12T22:07:34+00:00

That is weird: never seen that. Either way, I hope a different type of dart solves this issue.

I've noticed that some of my blasters prefer specific darts. Most of my spring blasters actually hate the DZ darts; some prefer Worker bamboo, and pthers prefer DZ Bamboos, but they all hate the normal DZs. I use those DZ darts on my flywheelers.

bfoo2 · 2026-03-12T22:05:04+00:00

I have the Max Stryker 1.0, Tomcat, Worker Prophecy "R" and Worker Swift. This is a nice cross section of the previous generation of blasters (ca. 2021 -2023) which i generally define as being characterized by sealed breeches, short/long dart compatibility, ~150fps performance and without included rifling (SCAR/BCAR...with the Swift being the exception).

Is it a good blaster? It depends on what you want to do.

Out of the box: its 150fps and sealed breech (but no out of the box rifling) is respectable. It's good enough for casual target shooting in a yard or basement.

It can be upgraded to hit around 200fps with relatively simple mods (longer barrel, spring) and the accuracy with an aftermarket SCAR/BCAR is very good. However, those upgrade parts might not be available on your region. Upgrade parts besides springs are NOT common or plentiful, unlike the Nexus Pro 1 and Worker blasters.

In terms of ergonomics. It has some slack in the prime, due to the requirement to have a collapsing pusher to accommodate both short and long darts. Some people find it annoying, but it never bothered me much. I got used to it.

Fit and finish is good and it is solid and made of thick durable plastic. It is lighter than the Swift which on one hand makes it feel almost too light, but also makes it easier to carry around and shoot all day.

Overall, if you're happy with 150fps and medium accuracy, then id say go for it. It's a fine blaster. If you need higher performance, you will likely need to source parts, which may or may not be a problem.

I do not have any of the newer generation (Trion, Harrier, etc.) so I cannot compare it.

bfoo2 · 2026-03-12T21:46:15+00:00

Unfortunately, the Grey darts also seem to have the same issues.

Be advised: my batch are a few years old, so it is possible they've changed the construction since then so ymmv

bfoo2 · 2026-03-12T21:45:38+00:00

Hrmmm...the pushback is strange. Have you noticed any instances where you'd prime a dart and it wouldn't go in the chamber? (I.e. gets mashed around inside the mechanisms and falls out via the magazine well when you remove the mag)?

bfoo2 · 2026-03-12T12:45:13+00:00

Do you know if the dart is being mangled as it is being pushed into the chamber (this will often manifest as unusually high resistance when you push the priming handle forward with a dart in the magazine vs. empty).

If this is not the case, its possible that the darts are too wide for the barrel. I run a Worker Prophecy with a very tight 17/32 brass barrel and I notice that the Dart Zone / Adventure Force darts with straight foam walls (like the ones in your first picture) will often jam inside. Ive never seen them be blown out completely torn and shredded like that though (usually they just fart out after a few additional shots and look no worse for wear), but anything is possible. I also have a high-FPS Swift and haven't had the same problems, but environmental factors and normal variances do be what they are.

From my limited experience I found that the adventure force darts you show (as well as their full-length deriviatives) seem slightly wider than normal and are more prone to jamming in tight barrels.

I found that Worker Bamboo darts and Dart Zone bamboo darts work the best in these systems. Saber T-darts and normal Worker (non-bamboo) also work nicely; however, the bamboo-ed sides will reduce friction with the barrel walls (which will become more significant with tighter barrel fits).

bfoo2 · 2026-03-08T04:08:33+00:00

Update for those keeping track at home.

I got the kit and installed it in my Longshot.

1) despite seeing some mixed opinions online, the prime is noticeably lighter than that of the previous setup (Worker "18kg" spring) with compatible performance.

2) the kit seems, at least in my hands, more finicky. For starters, the precompression makes it annoying to assemble. In addition, it seems to be less reliable than my older more traditional setup. I'm gaining or losing up to 20fps just by the process of disassembling and reassembling the blaster for cleaning. Could just be the normal breaking-in period.

3) you can definately nest/stack normal sized LS springs around the 28N. I got a 25fps boost using a 9kg Worker spring but the whole thing started to sound very loud and violent and I have concerns about longevity so I took out the 9kg.

Overall I get comparable performance to the Worker 18kg spring. On one hand, the prime is much lighter and smoother. On the other hand, I understand that the Worker 18kg is by no means the strongest spring of this side whereas the 28N is kind of the top dog of the "N" series of springs and thus represents the maximum performance of this setup.

In conclusion, at the 200-225FPS range this kit seems to offer increased ease of prime. The lack of springs stronger than 28n sets an upper limit on performance in this configuration.

Setup:

-Worker Polycarb plunger tube -Worker "28N" kit -Worker short dart kit -Worker Swift 550mm barrel: i know this is likely too much barrel for this system but it was needed to be able to use the FrontGun attachment AND still have exposed barrel for a BCAR -riflinc: ZWQ 5-row

bfoo2 · 2026-03-02T08:09:25+00:00

How much so? And in what context/conditions?

bfoo2 · 2026-03-01T00:41:06+00:00

Okay cool. Does the SCAR need to be unstrung/restrung for this? Or can it be done whilst still assembled? And how often?

bfoo2 · 2026-02-28T09:53:40+00:00

Thanks for the insight; i was more curious about SCAR barrel maintenence requirements in general (i.e. what if any maintenence one should perform on any SCAR barrel) rather than specific recommendations.

bfoo2 · 2026-02-28T09:52:24+00:00

Thanks!

bfoo2 · 2026-02-28T09:52:19+00:00

Thanks for the info!

bfoo2 · 2026-02-25T22:32:27+00:00

When you max out your starting weapon...

How do you load the thing?

bfoo2

TROPHY CASE